Cleveland Museum of Art

Jar with Dragon and Phoenix Design

Date

1522–66

Medium

carved lacquer in cinnabar and other colors

Culture

China, Jiangxi province, Jingdezhen, Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Jiajing mark and reign (1522-66)

Department

Chinese Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

A phoenix and dragon alternating with two auspicious ornate characters—“fortune” 福（ fu ) and “longevity” 壽 ( shou )—adorn this exquisitely carved lacquer jar. Similar to contemporary five-color ( wucai ) decoration on porcelain, this jar shows layers of lacquer in black, ochre, green, and cinnabar (red). In a time-consuming process, a multitude of lacquer coatings were applied to the wooden core before its design could be carved into the surface. The phoenix and dragon are imperial emblems suggesting that this jar was made for the court. The base of the jar is inscribed: “Made in the Jiajing-era of the Great Ming [dynasty].”

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